Gullible Travels

San Lou Seafood Restaurant

POSTED ON Sunday, July 28, 2013 AT 12:58 PM \ leave a comment (0)

today's entry takes us across the causeway, where many locals flock to over the weekends or long holidays to enjoy an economical seafood fix, grocery shopping, massage and what-have-yous.. San Lou Seafood Restaurant (as in 三楼海鲜园) located at Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru is just a short drive after clearing Customs. a quick google of its address was good enough to take us there. they open from evening till late and roadside parking is generally free.

interestingly, their signature dish turns out to be their San Lou Fried Bee Hoon (fried rice vermicelli) and its generally found on every patron's table when we arrived that the place. the bee hoon is fried in such a way that its a little chao-ta (charred) at the edges, but also spongy and crispy at the same time. the eggs, seafood and chives that are stir fried with it gives the dish a very flavourful effect that can be smelt upon being served. another must-try is their deep fried yam ring which many people tend to order.

we didn't have a big group with us this time, so we eased off on the seafood, though feedback from some quarters claim that they do a reasonable plate of Singapore-styled chilli crab too. The fried cockles in sambal above was fairly decent. they don't "play-cheat" like some local hawkers where there is nothing between some shells. over here, every shell is filled, though they were somewhat rubbery and could be fresher in my opinion.

we actually found the minced-pork tofu to be surprisingly delicious and told ourselves that it would accompany our orders the next time we visit. also served on the day included wild boar meat, omelette with prawns and Nai Bai vegetables. these were average but of typical tse-char standard. Johor Bahru seriously has no lack of indigenous drive-by delicacies, but if you want a variety of dishes for dinner across the causeway and didn't intend to travel very deep, this is one other destination that you could add to the list.

San Lou Seafood Restaurant
Jalan Biru, Taman Pelangi
80400 Johor Bahru

Operating Hours
4.30 pm to 1.00 am (daily)

(free roadside parking, assistance provided for people who can't parallel park)

Bimi Kaiho

POSTED ON Saturday, July 20, 2013 AT 6:48 PM \ leave a comment (0)

the hectic madness whenever the financial quarter ends usually leaves me with little time to travel too far for food. Bimi Kaiho or 美味海鸥 is an authentic Japanese restaurant tucked in a corner of International Plaza, off Tanjong Pagar MRT.

rows of traditional Japanese wine. I described it as authentic because there seems to be a regular stream of Japanese clientèle who'd patronize this place. the space is fairly cramped with only a few tables, and the way the lady boss asked "有打电话才来吗?" (did you call to make a reservation before coming?) tells me they can be quite popular on a weeknight...

it's uncharacteristic of a food blogger to say he cannot appreciate rough Japanese wine, but seriously, that was the case. we got ourselves some Osake, which was smooth and easy on the throat, though it carried a dry lingering finish of plum aroma. the restaurant is popular for their Bento sets and other set meals which often go well with the budget diners. i've also noticed Japanese customers ordering some of their sushi and sashimi cuts, though i told myself that they'd better be fresh for the price that they're charging. curious, we ordered some Saba Oshisushi (popular dishes are found on their hanging menu off the wall)..

the semi-grilled fish was fresh and juicy, with a thin slice of shisho leaf in between to give the sushi a unique flavourful taste. we were still praising ourselves for our smart choice when our main sets came. ordered a Tonkatsu with Udon set together with another Kara-age with Ramen set. all sets came with Chawan-mushi to give the meal really good value.

the set meals are not only good value for money but the pork cutlet was really crispy and tender, giving it good quality as well. another dish worth trying would be their cold Cha Soba. the noodles are of good texture and the sauce gives it the right flavour. if Japanese cuisine is your comfort food during a hectic work-week, Bimi Kaiho would be one perfect relief you could find in the fringes of the CBD.

Bimi Kaiho
10 Anson Road #02-28
International Plaza
Singapore 079903

Opening Hours
Mondays to Saturdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm; 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays

Wimbly Lu

POSTED ON Saturday, July 13, 2013 AT 11:09 PM \ leave a comment (0)

we never quite thought there'd be such a quaint little dessert cafe near our estate. after all, this kind of places are usually sprawling all over Siglap or Greenwood Ave. so we were pleasantly surprised to come across this interesting row of old-school shop houses along Jalan Riang (this is near Braddell by the way).

Wimby Lu Chocolates... if you managed to navigate the maze of private housing to get to this street, you probably won't miss their shop. i mean, there's only like 8 or 9 shop houses that spring out of nowhere in a vastly landed residential estate; but if you really get confused, look out for the old-school Volkswagen beetle that almost always sits outside this shop.

Wimbly Lu is not just your run-off-the-mill chocolate shop or cake shop, no doubt many customers come here to pack boxes of chocolates/cakes, but just as popular (especially on a weekend) would be their dine in options. a perfect way to spend a quiet afternoon in my opinion, yes this is the life.

all things chocolate would be good here, but the molten lava cake is certainly the most sinfully potent of the lot. the rush of chocolate when you cut open the cake is as exciting as it was delicious. also tried the Root beer cake with ice-cream which we were told was another out of their famous recipes. this combination actually goes well together *LOL* but personally, i felt that the root beer taste could be stronger.

on a sidenote, we had some English Earl Grey to go with our cakes. it was a surprisingly good brew i must say. other notable must-trys from Wimbly would be their waffles/crepes with maple syrup & ice-cream. read somewhere that their waffles rank top 5 in this country. if you come on a weekend afternoon, be prepared to wait for a seat. it puzzles me how the fairly young-looking crop of clientèle got there (as i struggled for parking) but i guess younger peeps are just rich these days. you wanna be young, you gotta come here.

Wimbly Lu Chocolate
15-2 Jalan Riang
Singapore 358987

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Friday 1pm to 10.30pm
Saturday/Sunday 9am to 11pm

(No outside food, drinks & cakes. Remember to park legally)

Catalunya

POSTED ON Sunday, July 07, 2013 AT 6:44 PM \ leave a comment (0)

had the privilege to visit a stylish Spanish restaurant that has been turning heads in Singapore. this tapas place at the fullerton pavilion is built like a dome, giving diners a 360-panoramic view over MBS.

apparently they have been named world's best restaurant 5 times. the local joint boasts a full Spanish service crew and their "plate-chopping" routine for their Segovian style suckling pig is part of the experience. savour the moment, as they charge you for the plates..

Above was one of the starters we had, Tortilla de Trampo which was rich with cheese, tomatoes and green peppers. This along with their Pa Amb Tomaquet (bread with tomatoes) and their Croquetas de Jamon (breadcrumbed croquette with jamon ham - their expensive part is the ham) are some of the must-trys in this restaurant.

Then comes the main-show, their traditional "Segovian-styled" suckling pig, roasted and served to you whole on a wooden board. the meat is roasted to tender perfection and deftly chopped into bite sizes using porcelain plates. yes, you read correctly and that is part of the traditional Spanish routine. The meat is tender and goes well with mash potatoes and baby red-peppers. i think i did the pig justice by savouring parts of the head; now don't be squeamish here but the ears and tongue have been done crispy & juicy. connoisseurs will even tell you that the brain is an acquired taste. ok, nevermind..

offerings along One Fullerton tends to take a pricey edge, but at Catalunya, it's all about experiential Spanish fine dining..

Catalunya
The Fullerton Pavilion 82
Collyer Quay
Singapore 049327

Opening Hours: 12 noon to 2am

Modes of Payment: Cash and all major credit cards (you will need it)
(VISA, MASTERCARD, AMEX, JCB)